Duluth Marshall Girls Basketball Returns to State Tournament for First Time Since 2021

Sophomore Chloe Johnson poured in 35 points and pulled down 16 rebounds as second-seeded Duluth Marshall routed seventh-seeded Sauk Centre in a Class AA quarterfinal at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis Wednesday night, sending the Hilltoppers to the state semifinals for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

The final score reported by the Minnesota State High School League was 65-38, with Johnson's double-double anchoring a performance that was never in doubt. Local reporter Howie Hanson's game account listed the final as 63-38; the official box score has not yet been confirmed, but both accounts agree on Johnson's 35-point output and Sauk Centre's 38 points. Marshall took control early, building a 28-15 halftime lead behind Johnson's scoring and steady defensive pressure before outscoring Sauk Centre 35-23 in the second half.

Candice Ndomb added 13 points for the Hilltoppers and Anna Saari contributed nine. Sauk Centre's Elizabeth Herickhoff led the Mustangs with 10 points, while Kahlen Suelflow and Nya Thieschafer each added eight.

Johnson, who entered the tournament averaging 31.3 points per game, reflected on what the moment meant to a group that has played together for years. "I'm super excited for it. I think we've all worked super hard for this moment. We've been with each other since, like I've been playing with some of them since fourth grade. So, we've gone through a lot of ups and downs together. I think it's just a really cool testament to all of our hard work," she said.

Head coach C.J. Osuchukwu kept the focus forward without letting the occasion get too large. "One game at a time. Enjoy the moment, soak in the moment, because you never know what could happen. And yeah, we're just focused on Wednesday and then after that, we'll figure out what we're going to do next," he said ahead of the quarterfinal.

The return to Minneapolis caps a 22-7 regular season for Marshall and carries a particular weight after a five-year absence from the state tournament. Before the team departed Duluth for Minneapolis on Tuesday, the Hilltoppers were celebrated with a pep rally in their home gym and an escort provided by the Duluth Police Department, Duluth Fire Department, and the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.

With the quarterfinal win, Marshall advances to the Class AA semifinals Friday night at Williams Arena, where the Hilltoppers will face the winner of the New London-Spicer versus Minnehaha Academy quarterfinal.